


All you wanted

by MJ_03



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-14
Updated: 2020-01-14
Packaged: 2020-03-05 07:38:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 12,582
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18824143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MJ_03/pseuds/MJ_03
Summary: After the events of GoG Queenie tries to deal with the aftermath of her actions. Vinda is there to help.





	1. Paris - Vinda

**Author's Note:**

> So this is my first English story in years and since English is not my first language there might be some mistakes in there. I'm sorry for that. Basically this chapter is a little insight in Vinda's story, the next chapter will be Queenie's point of view. This story will consist of small chapters (between 400 and 700 words I think) and I'll try to update frequently.

There were mainly two reasons why Vinda hated Muggles so much. 

One of them was her upbringing. Being one of the Sacred 28, her parents were always really proud to be pure blood and passed that pride on to their children. The Rosier family always felt like being better than other families, but their dislike for Muggles was not violent, no one really wished for all Muggles to be dead.

The other reason, the main reason why Vinda really didn’t need any Muggles walking on Earth was love. She had been in love, once, when she was young and still in school, with a muggle born witch. She was beautiful, with blond hair and blue eyes, really clever too. It was all Vinda had hoped for. But then her girlfriend’s parents found out about their love and they had forced the girl to end things with Vinda. “It’s not natural” they had said. This believe was common under Muggles and so Vinda’s dislike for them became hatred. In her opinion they were so small minded, in opposition to the wizarding world. Her own parents never had a problem with her preferring girls and told her, she would find just the right girl for her, if she was patient. Nonetheless Vinda had been heart broken and swore to herself to never fall in love again and to never ever again trust any muggle born being (it didn’t help that her former girlfriend later married a Muggle). She made it her goal to show the world that witches and wizards were superior. When she met Gellert Grindelwald, she finally had found other people who shared her point of views. 

And there she was. Second in Command, confidante and friend to Gellert Grindelwald, who was just about to change the world. Vinda felt great to be part of it and had no doubt about her role and her duties. She knew what was important and never let her own feelings come in the way of the Greater Good. That was until now. Gellert had just told her about her newest assignment: to pick up a certain Queenie Goldstein from the streets of Paris. Vinda, who had seen Queenie only some hours ago at the Ministry, had not been paying much attention to the other witch, since she and Abernathy had been on a mission there. But she remembered the outstanding beauty that this woman hold. Gellert hadn’t give her any more instructions about to pick this woman up exactly, so she had to come up with a plan by herself. What Vinda didn’t expect was an emotional, crying and soaking wet Queenie Goldstein sitting on the pavement. Therefore Vinda had to think about how to approach this obviously distressed woman and bring her back to the house. She walked up to her and tapped her lightly on the shoulder.

“Madame?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, we all know how that continues.   
> Tell me what you think, feedback is appreciated. I'll post chapter two as soon as I can.


	2. Nurmengard Castle – Queenie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the next one. Enjoy!

The first thing Queenie noticed when she arrived in Nurmengard’s entrance hall that night was the cold. She was shivering and felt lost. So she looked around for a familiar face but there was none. She was surrounded by strangers, there were maybe twenty or thirty other people in the hall, waiting for further instructions. Queenie might not knew them but nevertheless she could hear them. Thoughts in different languages kept pouring into her head. She heard some English, which she understood, but all the French and other languages she couldn’t understand. For the second time in just twenty-four hours Queenie could feel herself becoming overwhelmed and stressed out by the thoughts of other people. Her headache from earlier returned at full power and she pressed her hands against her head in pain. Queenie felt her knees getting weaker and she had to sit down. Trying to focus on clearing her mind, she closed her eyes. The voices didn’t stop. Suddenly she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder and from one moment to the other the voices were gone. Thankfully, Queenie looked up to her saviour, only to find herself looking into Vinda’s green eyes, just like earlier this day.  
“Are you alright?” She asked, this time in English. Queenie nodded. Indeed, she was feeling quite a lot better than just mere moments before. Vinda had saved her again and Queenie was really glad to see someone familiar.  
“How about I show you your room? You might want to get some rest” Vinda suggested. Queenie nodded again. Rest sounded wonderful. Vinda helped her up and locked their arms as she led Queenie away from the entrance hall. During their walk through the castle Queenie tried to read Vinda’s mind. She was kind of curious about her two-times saviour. But when she tried to enter Vinda’s head, she found nothing, not even French thoughts. Vinda’s mind was totally blank to her. Too tired to question this, Queenie decided to pursue this issue some time later. Meanwhile Vinda had stopped in front of a wooden door.  
“That’s your room” she said.  
“Thank you, you are really nice”. Queenie thankfully smiled at Vinda, who returned the smile slightly.  
“Well, I’ll leave you to settle in. If you need anything, my room is just next to yours”. Vinda pointed at another wooden door on the right. Queenie nodded and Vinda turned around and went away through the hall.  
Queenie opened the door to her new room and looked around. There was a big window on the opposite side with a nice view to the snow covered mountains around the castle. Right under the window was a desk with a chair and next to the desk was a wardrobe. On the right side of the room stood a queen-sized bed and on the left was a door that lead to a small bathroom. Queenie took a look around the room and finally settled on the bed. Vinda had been right, she really needed to get some rest. She took off her coat and shoes and laid down on the soft mattress. She tucked herself in and fell asleep almost immediately.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will be ready soon as well.


	3. Briefing - Vinda

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the next short chapter.   
> For this story, I assume that Vinda and Grindelwald know each other really well, so they are friends and she's the only one who's allowed to tease him and vice versa.

After she’d shown Queenie her room, Vinda hurried off to find Gellert. He was in his office on the first floor of Nurmengard and was already waiting for her. He sat in a chair behind his desk and indicated her to sit down across him.   
“How did it go?” he asked her and sent her a questioning glare. Vinda shrugged, not quite meeting his eyes.   
“She’s settling in” she said. Gellert nodded. He seemed to find something quite amusing, since he was smirking at her.   
“What’s the deal with you?” Vinda wanted to know in her no-bullshit-voice. She was way too tired to play games. Gellert grinned at her again.   
“I find your caring side really refreshing” he stated. Vinda stared at him.   
“I have no idea what you are talking about” she assured him. Gellert smirked. He had expected her to deny it.   
“Come on, Rosier, I won’t tell anyone about your soft spot for distressed ladies”. His smug expression made Vinda want to punch him in the face. But since he was her boss and her best, no only, friend, she spared him. She just continued to glare at him with a dark expression.   
“Seriously, Vinda. You did well. Just keep up being nice to her, it’s important that she’s comfortable around here” Gellert said. This time she agreed with him. Queenie war indeed important to the cause and so she was important to her.   
“How’s the boy?” she asked to change the topic. Actually, she didn’t really care for the boy right now.   
“He’s also settling in. But I think he struggles with his decision” Gellert answered concerned.   
“Maybe Queenie’s Legilimency can help you there” Vinda suggested. Her friend nodded.   
“That’s part of why she’s here” he said. Winning new people for their cause was always a success, but if there was a Legilimens among them it was even more so.   
“Paris was a real success, don’t you think?” Vinda stated a little proud.   
“It was, indeed. We won so many good people over and we sent a pretty clear message to the enemy” Gellert grinned wickedly. Vinda sensed a chance to give him a comeback to his earlier teasing.   
“You mean Dumbledore” Vinda raised one eyebrow.   
“Busted” said Gellert and looked everywhere except at his dark haired friend. She knew that this was a sensitive topic for him, so she changed the conversation once again. The last she wanted was to upset him.   
“So, what’s next?” She wanted to know.   
“You and I, my dear, will help our special guests to accommodate and the others will get some orders soon. I was thinking about a way to infiltrate the British Ministry and of course someone’ll need do interrogate the Aurors” Gellert explained. Vinda nodded along. She could life with that plan.


	4. Settling in I – Queenie

When Queenie woke up, she felt better. She opened her eyes and saw that the night was already over. The sun started to rise above the Austrian mountains. It was a really beautiful view. Queenie sat up in her new bed and considered what to do next. She felt a bit nauseous, so maybe breakfast would be a good idea. But she didn’t know where to get that from. So she thought about what Vinda had told her. She’d said, that her room was right next and so Queenie got up. She took her wand and smoothed her wrinkled dress. Then she went to her small bathroom and got washed up.   
Three minutes later she knocked at Vinda’s door. It took the other witch only a few seconds to open her door. When she saw Queenie, she smiled widely.   
“Good morning” she greeted. Queenie gave her a smile.   
“Good morning. I was wondering if I could get breakfast somewhere around here” she stated.   
“Of course, follow me” Vinda answered and closed her door behind her. Queenie walked next to her through the castle and couldn’t help but to look at her companion. Vinda looked like she’d been already up for quite some time. Her hair was in a neat bun and her lips were bright red. She wore a dark green dress and black heels, but different ones than yesterday.   
“The kitchen is down here on the ground floor. Feel free to help yourself” Vinda said when they walked down a stair.   
“Oh, I just love to bake and cook” Queenie said, a little bit excited. She found herself being happy about that she would be able to continue cooking and baking, even here at Nurmengard. Maybe that would help her feel more at home here. Vinda shot her a funny glare and Queenie once again wondered what she was thinking. She tried to read Vinda’s mind again, but still unsuccessfully. It seemed like her counterpart was well trained in Occlumency. In the meantime they had reached an open space with fire places, sofas and arm chairs. They were all empty, but Queenie heard some voices from the next room.   
“That’s our little living room” Vinda explained, guiding Queenie through the room. Queenie certainly did not think of that room as little but it gave her an idea of what Vinda was used to. She was a Rosier after all. The next room was filled with tables and chairs, a few acolytes were sitting there, already eating their breakfast.   
“Dining room. The kitchen is on the left” Vinda said.   
“Thank you, Vinda” Queenie smiled. Then she realized how hungry she was.   
“Are you hungry too?” she asked Vinda. The latter seemed to consider the question a bit. But then she answered:   
“Something to eat would be really great”. Queenie grinned and made her way into the kitchen. Vinda trailed along after her. The blond witch looked around and opened a few cupboards. Vinda seated herself on a chair next to the door, with neatly crossed legs and watched her. Queenie decided to bake some waffles and she really wanted some cocoa as well, so she started to prepare breakfast for the two of them.


	5. Settling in II – Vinda

Vinda watched Queenie preparing some dough with her magic.   
“You don’t have to keep me company, you know?” Queenie said during her baking. Vinda frowned.   
“What do you mean?” She wanted to know. Maybe Queenie didn’t want to be around her or maybe she had done something to offend the blonde.   
“You don’t have to be in here, if you don’t want to. Maybe you rather want to go and sit with your friends” Queenie stated. Vinda had to laugh.   
“My friends?” she asked slightly amused.   
“They are not your friends?” Queenie asked confused. Vinda shook her head. No, those people in the dining room were most certainly not her friends.   
“No, we’re not friends. We are just like co-workers, the only thing me and most of them have in common is fighting for the Greater Good. I wouldn’t even talk to them if we weren’t committed to the same cause. Hell, I even don’t like most people here” Vinda tried to explain. She saw a shadow falling over Queenie’s face, she looked kind of hurt and bit her lower lip.   
“Oh no, not you. I wasn’t talking about you” Vinda reassured her. Queenie looked relieved and concentrated back on preparing their breakfast.   
“So you like me, then?” Queenie asked, sounding a bit playfully. Vinda grinned.   
“I’ll tell you after I’ve tasted your waffles”.   
When Queenie was done with the preparations she let one of the plates levitate to Vinda, who caught it promptly. Queenie took her own plate and they left the kitchen, two mugs of cocoa followed them, levitating. They sat down at a table in the corner of the dining room and Queenie started to eat right away. Vinda herself took one of the waffles and examined it. It looked fluffy and it was still warm. So she took a bite and found herself liking the taste. She ate the whole waffle right away.   
“I take it you like me?” Queenie asked with an amused voice. Vinda looked up, feeling caught. She cleared her throat.   
“At least your waffles taste great” Vinda admitted. Queenie grinned at her. But then she got a serious expression.   
“What’s planned for later?” she wanted to know. She sounded a bit worried.   
“I think, Gellert wants to meet with you and the boy” Vinda answered. She knew that Gellert wanted Queenie to spend time with Credence.   
“Oh, you mean Credence?” Queenie wanted to make sure. Vinda nodded. She always referred to him as “the boy”, because she didn’t really care for him. He was important to the cause but not to her personally. Sometimes she wondered, why Gellert was so obsessed with him. She was pretty sure that there were other ways to defeat Dumbledore and win the war, but she never told Gellert about that. He was the boss after all.   
“I’m really excited to work with him. My sister liked him quite a lot” Queenie stated and interrupted Vinda’s thoughts. When she mentioned her sister, her expression got sad.   
“You miss your sister” Vinda said. She understood. Queenie had made a big decision by joining the Greater Good, she had left her family and friends behind, so it was only natural for her to miss them.  
“Yes. I miss them terribly. I wish I had the chance to speak with my sister” Queenie looked so sad that Vinda was afraid she would start crying.   
“Maybe she’ll come around and join us too” Vinda said. Queenie looked at her doubtfully.   
“I’ll make sure she has the chance” Vinda promised her, but she wasn’t able to cheer her up. They finished their breakfast in silence. Vinda didn’t even commented the cocoa Queenie had made. When they had cleared their plates, Vinda got up.   
“You should go and see Gellert” she advised and left.


	6. Credence - Queenie

After Queenie had cleaned the plates and mugs, she went to find Gellert Grindelwald. Vinda hadn’t mentioned where she could find him, so she started to wander around the castle. She stopped, when she came across a big panorama window on the first floor of Nurmengard. The view was amazing, it showed the Alps in all their glory. The snow covered mountain tops shone in the light of the rising sun and the sky above them was clear blue.   
“Amazing, isn’t it?” Queenie had failed to notice anyone coming along. She turned around and found Grindelwald standing a few steps next to her. She smiled politely at him.   
“I was actually just looking for you” she said.   
“Well, you’ve found me”. He took a step closer. Queenie tried to read his mind, more out of habit than to actually find something out, but his mind was as blank to her as Vinda’s.   
“So, Vinda mentioned I would be working with Credence” Queenie said. Grindelwald observed her closely and Queenie felt a bit intimidated. She was used to knowing what people were thinking.   
“I’d like you to spend time with him” Grindelwald confirmed. He gestured her to walk with him and so she did. They walked through the castle while Grindelwald explained what he wanted Queenie to do.   
“Just talk to him. Find out what he needs to be comfortable here. I want him to be happy, but I’m afraid he won’t tell me everything I need to know to help him become happy” he said. Queenie nodded along. She understood, that Credence was very important to Grindelwald, although she had no idea why exactly.   
“But please don’t tell him that you are a Legilimens” Grindelwald added. She didn’t plan on telling anyone anyway. Most people didn’t react very well to her revealing her special ability. Newt and Jacob had been the exception. Queenie sighted when she thought about the two men. It hurt to think about them. It hurt, that Jacob hat abandoned her and their relationship. She tried to push her sad thoughts aside and concentrate on the conversation with Grindelwald.   
“Is there anything particular I should talk with Credence about?” she asked.   
“I’d like you to reassure him and help him understand that he can find his home here with us” Grindelwald answered. Then he stopped in front of a door.   
“That’s a study I set up for the two of you” he said and pushed the door open. Queenie stepped inside the room and looked around. There was another big window on the opposite side and on the right side were bookshelves. On the left side were a fireplace and a big sofa with a table in front of it and on the walls were different paintings. Then she realized that Credence was sitting on the sofa, with his head hanging down. She sensed that he was sad and confused. He thought about missing this girl he had met in Paris and questioned himself if he had made the right choice.   
“Good morning” Queenie said softly. Credence looked up, but didn’t say anything.   
“This is Queenie. She’ll keep you company until lunch” Grindelwald announced and then he was gone. Queenie smiled at Credence and sat down next to him on the sofa.   
“So, how are you settling in, sweetie?” she asked him. Credence thought about lying in bed, alone and cold, trying not to cry.   
“Alright, I guess” he said and sounded as sad as his thoughts were. Queenie decided that she would do the talking for now.   
“How about I’ll start us a nice cosy fire?” she suggested. Credence nodded thankfully. He was still feeling cold. So Queenie pointed her wand at the fireplace and seconds later there was a crisp fire burning. Credence watched her curious.   
“You don’t know much about the wizarding world, hm?” she said. She could see inside his head that he wondered how that all worked and if he’d be able to do something like that as well.   
“Maybe I can tell you a bit about it” she offered, knowing that he would be interested. When Credence gave her a nod, Queenie started to tell him different things from their world and even showing him some simple spells for visual perception. She could see all his curious questions in his mind and made sure to answer all of them, without giving away that she could see inside his head.


	7. Day at work - Vinda

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vinda is not just nice and friendly, she's still ruthlessly fighting for the Greater Good.

While Queenie was spending time with Credence, Vinda had her own task to accomplish. Together with Carrow and Abernathy, she was going to Vienna to meet a contact man, who worked for the Austrian Ministry.  
They were supposed to meet at an unoccupied house downtown, but their contact hadn’t shown up yet. Vinda was getting impatient, she hated waiting for someone. She paced up and down in the dusty living room, while Carrow sat on an old chair and was killing spiders with her wand. Little green flashes hit the spiders and they dropped to the floor. Abernathy was watching this with a mix of disgust and curiosity. Vinda herself didn’t care for what they were doing, as long as they didn’t endanger the mission. She hoped, that the contact man would come soon, but the longer it took the more she got the feeling, that something was wrong. This was supposed to be an easy mission, just a short meeting and gaining information. Waiting for the contact was not part of the deal.  
Suddenly there was a loud and banging noise outside the living room and Vinda immediately took her wand and prepared herself for a fight. Carrow and Abernathy did the same. But when the door opened, it revealed their contact man, Hans Bergmann. Finally, Vinda thought.  
“Why are you so late?” Vinda asked angrily. Then she noticed, that the man looked really frightened. He was white as a sheet and trembled. Oh no, she thought. She was almost certain, that the man had set them up, but before she could warn the other two, a handful Aurors entered the room. Promptly, a duel started. Vinda was glad, that she had her wand out, as the Aurors started to attack them immediately. Vinda was fighting three Aurors at once, throwing curse after curse at them and trying to shield herself from their curses. The Aurors tried to stun her, but Vinda had been to too many Auror duels to not see that coming. She knew that their order was to arrest them, they were not allowed to kill them, but her own orders said no such thing. It was a dangerous situation, if the Aurors arrested someone of her companions, it would be a serious security leak. Since Vinda was in charge, it was job to prevent that. So she prepared herself for the first killing curse. She threw the curse non-verbally at one of the Aurors, who dropped dead immediately. Satisfied with herself, Vinda continued to stun the other Aurors, who’d rushed to their dead companion in shock. Vinda risked a short glance to Carrow and Abernathy. It seemed like Carrow had killed two other Aurors and Abernathy was still fighting off the Auror that was left. Their former contact man seemed to be knocked out on the floor. Just as Vinda wanted to give them some instructions, Carrow sent a killing curse to the Auror Abernathy was fighting with. He dropped to the ground and Abernathy looked relieved. Vinda rolled her eyes at him.  
“Let’s go” she suggested and sent the other two out of the room. She sent another killing curse at the two remaining Aurors and their contact man. Then, she followed Carrow and Abernathy outside. The three of them left the house quickly and disappeared.  
When Vinda reapparated at the apparation point outside the Nurmengard grounds, she felt really angry. The mission went wrong and being in charge, meant that she needed to take over responsibility for that. To say she was unhappy would be an understatement. Besides, Vinda took it personal that this stupid contact man had set them up. How could he betray them? She’d never understand how someone could doubt the Greater Good. The guy really deserved to be dead.  
Carrow and Abernathy reapparated and at least they seemed to be okay. Not that she cared about them personally, but being responsible for their loss wasn’t an appealing thought. Without waiting for them, Vinda walked up to the castle. She wanted to get over with telling Gellert about the fiasco and then spend the remaining day in peace, preferably alone.


	8. Getting closer – Queenie

When Queenie left Credence’s room, she was hungry again. So she decided to go back to the kitchen and prepare some lunch for herself. She found the way from Credence’s study to the kitchen straight away. The dining room was already full of people, she spotted Abernathy at one table, next to him a woman who Queenie recognized from Paris and two men she didn’t know. She tried to block out everyone’s thoughts when she crossed the room and it seemed to work a lot better than the day before. Just before Queenie was about to enter the kitchen, she saw Vinda sitting alone at a table in the corner. She looked anything but happy and Queenie really wished, she could read Vinda’s mind to find out what was going on with her. Queenie decided to grab something to eat and then join the dark haired witch at her table.   
Queenie went to the kitchen and saw, that someone’d already cooked something, it looked like some meat with potatoes, but Queenie was really hungry, she didn’t care what exactly it was. So she took a plate and loaded food on it, grabbed silverware and some water. She left the kitchen again and made her way to Vinda’s table.   
“Hi” she said and offered Vinda a big smile. The other woman looked up and gave her a half smile back, but didn’t say anything. So Queenie sat down and started to eat. She wondered if Vinda was okay. Maybe something had happened, but Queenie wasn’t sure if she should ask Vinda about it, maybe she would tell her on her own accord. So Queenie let her mind wander around. She heard some thoughts coming from Abernathy, who apparently had witnessed some kind of duel today. The guy next to him thought about the upcoming interrogation he had to attend later and the third guy at the table was thinking about a woman. Queenie couldn’t help but roll her eyes at that. There were always some guys thinking about things like that. Vinda seemed to notice her reaction.   
“What’s up?” she wanted to know. Queenie grinned.   
“Oh, just some men and their thoughts” she answered. Vinda nodded and didn’t ask further. Queenie finished her meal and asked her companion:   
“What are you doing now?”   
“I’ve nothing planned, so far” Vinda said.   
“Do you want to take a walk?” Queenie asked, she felt like getting some fresh air. Vinda nodded, much to Queenie’s surprise. She smiled.   
“Let’s grab our coats, then” she said.   
After they had fetched their coats, the two women walked through the rose garden of Nurmengard. Queenie found it really nice, she loved roses. Jacob had bought her a lot of roses, before all their problems had started. She really didn’t want to think about that right now, so she turned to Vinda.   
“How was your day so far?” she asked, hoping Vinda would talk to her and take her mind off of Jacob.   
“Horrible” Vinda replied curtly. That sounded bad. Queenie felt sorry for Vinda.   
“What happened?” she wanted to know.   
“Mission gone wrong. Some contact set us up and betrayed us to the Aurors” Vinda explained. She sighted and added:   
“We had to kill all of them. Instead meeting with one guy, we had to fight against six of them”. Oh. Queenie hadn’t expected that. But although she found herself really liking Vinda, she had known that she and the other acolytes were able to kill. Some of them even liked killing people, she knew from reading their minds. But Vinda? She had hoped, that Vinda was different. She seemed so nice and friendly around her, she had saved her from a meltdown two times, so far. How could someone so kind enjoy killing other people? Queenie felt confused. Normally, she could read people like open books, so she was unsure how to react to Vinda’s statement. Maybe she should just ask her, but Queenie found herself being afraid of the answer. Queenie was so deep in thoughts that she almost missed how Vinda stopped walking and looked at her with a questioning expression. So Queenie stopped too.   
“Are you alright?” Vinda asked, looking her straight in the eye.   
“It’s stupid, never mind” Queenie said, a little embarrassed. But Vinda didn’t let it go.   
“You can talk to me about everything” she assured Queenie and smiled at her. So Queenie just asked.   
“Do you enjoy killing people?”


	9. Getting closer – Vinda

“Do you enjoy killing people?”   
Vinda wasn’t expecting that, she was caught by surprise. Raising an eyebrow, Vinda carefully answered:   
“No, I don’t. But I enjoy my job. I enjoy working for the Greater Good and I enjoy fighting for the right thing. Killing is just a side effect. I do what needs to be done”. She hoped, Queenie would understand her and would not be disappointed. Vinda really didn’t enjoy killing people herself, she wasn’t Carrow, after all. But she had no problem with other acolytes killing people and she wouldn’t mind at all, if someone would just erase a few Muggles. Queenie seemed to process Vinda’s answer, but she didn’t looked angry or sad. To make sure that her companion was alright, Vinda touched her shoulder gently.   
“I would never hurt someone I like” Vinda said. She didn’t mention, that she hardly liked anybody except Gellert and her family and now Queenie.   
“I know. I just can’t imagine having to kill someone” Queenie answered. Vinda knew that Queenie could hardly hurt a fly. That’s why she and Gellert agreed on keeping Queenie save at Nurmengard. Their blonde Legilimens was really no field work material. But Vinda found it kind of sweet, Queenie seemed so innocent and nice. She doubted that Queenie knew how special her gift was and how important she was to the Greater Good.   
“I hope you never have to” she said. She feared, that Queenie wouldn’t endure that. It was impressive, that she was such a positive and happy person, given that she could read almost everybody’s mind.   
“Yeah, me too” Queenie agreed. They continued walking through the rose garden. For a few minutes, neither of them said a word. Vinda thought about what so say, but it seemed that her communication skills were not the best. At least when it came to talking with friends. In the last few years, Gellert had been the only real friend she had and with him, talking was easy. They would tease each other a lot, have long discussions about their fight for the Greater Good and watch out for each other. The friendship with Queenie was still so new to Vinda, she feared, that she would destroy it before it could grow further.   
“You know, I’ve been thinking” Queenie’s voice interrupted her thoughts. Now Vinda was curious.   
“About what?” she wanted to know immediately. Queenie tilted her head slightly and grinned.   
“Don’t be impatient” she laughed. When Queenie laughed, her whole face would lit up and the sound of the laugh reminded Vinda of bells. Laughing Queenie was such a happy sight, that Vinda’s belly started to tingle. When she realized this sensation, she decided to push it away and laugh along with the blonde.   
“So, what I’ve been thinking about: Why can’t I read your mind?” Queenie asked, once she stopped laughing. Vinda nodded. Of course she was curious about that, considering she usually could read everybody’s mind.   
“I tend to use Occlumency almost all the time” Vinda said. She considered herself as a very private person and as the second in command, Occlumency was very useful for her.   
“Does it bother you, that you can’t read my mind?” Vinda asked. She worried, that Queenie didn’t want to hang around people, whose minds she couldn’t read. To her delight, Queenie shook her head.   
“No, not at all. Actually, I find it really refreshing” she answered.   
“That’s good, because I really like spending time with you” Vinda stated, she abstained from winking at Queenie. She should really do something against the developing attraction she felt for Queenie. But when Queenie began to talk again, Vinda realized, that it might be too late for that.   
“I’m so glad, that you are here with me. Without you, I would feel kind of lost in this place” Queenie said and squeezed Vinda’s hand lightly.


	10. Routine – Queenie

Over the next days, they developed a routine. Queenie would make breakfast for Vinda and herself, then Vinda was off to wherever Grindelwald would send her this time and Queenie would go to speak with Credence. She would show him some basic spells and teach him to use his wand. Then, she and Vinda would grab lunch and spend the afternoon together, if nothing else came up. For dinner, they would go back to the kitchen, where someone (Queenie suspected, that Nurmengard had at least one or two house elves around) had already prepared dinner. Besides that, Queenie had regular meetings with Grindelwald to talk about Credence.   
It was remarkably easy for Queenie to settle in and after two weeks, she really felt at home in Nurmengard. Deep down, she knew that it was mostly Vinda’s doing, that she felt so comfortable here. Sure, she still missed Tina and Jacob, but the more she thought about it, the more she got angry feelings towards them. They’d neglected her. Tina had stopped speaking to her months ago and Jacob had been too afraid to just run away with her and be happy. They could be married by now, if he’d just agreed to come with her. Maybe it hadn’t been really wise to charm Jacob into coming to England, but she had had her reasons. But then, he had called her crazy, so maybe it was for the best, that they were separated now. Whenever she thought about Jacob, she felt angry, that he didn’t understand her and didn’t join her. At the beginning of their relationship she had felt giddy and happy whenever she thought of Jacob. She’d always missed him and longed for him, when they were separate, but now she felt mostly hurt and a bit angry.   
Right now, Queenie was on her way to Credence, who still preferred his old name. Vinda had left for some mission right after breakfast and hadn’t known when she’d be back. Queenie hoped, she would be on time for lunch, because she really didn’t want to sit with Abernathy or that Carrow woman or Nagel, Krafft and MacDuff. Their minds were really hard to bear with. She arrived at the study and entered. Credence sat on the couch and was obviously in a sad mood. Queenie could see inside his head that he was thinking about that girl, Nagini, again. He missed her.   
“Are you alright, sweetie?” she asked, after she’d closed the door. She sat down next to him and gave him a worried look. He had told her about Nagini before, but he never really talked about missing her before. Credence shrugged and sighted.   
“You can talk to me, you know?” Queenie said encouragingly.   
“I wish, she would have come with me” he whispered. Queenie could see, that he was replaying their parting in his mind.   
“You mean Nagini?” Queenie wanted to make sure. Credence nodded. He felt sad and he was full of doubt.   
“I think, she was afraid, too afraid to see what’s right. I’m sure, she misses you too and maybe you can be together someday soon” Queenie tried to cheer Credence up. He hoped, that she was right.   
“I just don’t understand, why she didn’t come along” he sighted. Queenie understood. She had felt the same about Jacob not so long ago.   
“I guess, she was confused and afraid. There are so many rumors floating around. Maybe she didn’t know what to believe. I’m sure, she’ll see reason sooner or later” Queenie said. She could her Credence agreeing in his mind. He hoped that too. Then, he spoke again.   
“What about you? Do you feel the same about your man?” he wanted to know. Queenie didn’t know what to say. She saw, that Credence hoped for a positive answer, but Queenie didn’t want to lie.   
“You know, I think you can hardly compare that” she stated. In his face, she saw that he wanted further explanations.   
“We are just too different, I suppose. Our relationship was already strained, when we arrived in Europe. We began to drift apart before that. I hoped that we could fix that by getting married in England, but as it turned out, he thinks that I’m crazy. So I believe, it’s for the best that we are not together anymore” she tried to explain. Credence seemed to understand better, but he still wondered, how Queenie and Jacob ended up being separate. Sometimes, Queenie wondered the same. She had dreamed of a home with Jacob where they would raise their kids and just be happy together. Oh how she had wanted that. But now she wasn’t really sure what she wanted. In addition there was still one thing she hadn’t told anyone about.   
“You mean, Nagini and I still have a chance?” Credence interrupted her thoughts again.   
“I’m sure, honey. Just give her some time” Queenie smiled at him and hoped that she was right.


	11. Confessions – Vinda

They were lying on Queenie’s bed, not really talking about anything or doing anything. The weather outside was too bad for a walk and they didn’t feel like seeing anyone else, as it would most probably happen in the common area of the castle. So they decided to stay in and relax. It seemed that both Queenie and Vinda were lost in their own thoughts. Vinda tried really hard not to be too bothered by how close the blonde’s body was to her own. The last weeks had been really hard for Vinda. She found herself incredibly drawn to Queenie and it really didn’t help that Queenie was very friendly towards her as well. But right now Vinda sensed that Queenie was conflicted. So she turned her head to face Queenie. She had a sad look on her face, her green eyes shimmered slightly and she was biting her lower lip.   
“Are you alright?” Vinda asked frowning. Queenie turned to her.   
“I don’t know. It’s complicated” she answered, not really sure what to say. Vinda couldn’t help but to reach out and take Queenie’s hand in her own.   
“You can talk to me” she assured her. Queenie sighted.   
“I know. You’ve been nothing but incredibly nice and supportive ever since I came here. I’m so thankful for you” she said. Vinda’s heart started to race. A voice in her head whispered, that Queenie was trying to declare her love for her, but Vinda quickly shot this voice down and concentrated on what Queenie was actually saying.  
“Not so long ago, I was really hopeful. I had a wonderful sister and I was so in love with Jacob. But then everything just went downhill. They just wouldn’t understand me” Queenie sighted. Vinda tilted her head.   
“And now you aren’t in love with him anymore?” was the first thing she blurred out when she opened her mouth to answer. Queenie shot her a funny glare.   
“He thinks I am crazy” she pointed out, hoping it was enough answer for Vinda.   
“Maybe he didn’t mean it” Vinda stated carefully. But Queenie shook her head.   
“I know he meant it. Both times, actually. And my sister thinks I’m reckless and irresponsible”. Queenie looked so sad that Vinda almost had to look away.   
“Then they’re not worth it. You are wonderful and so talented and gifted. Besides, fighting for a better world might be a little reckless but not irresponsible” Vinda said confidently and smiled at her friend. Queenie blushed at her words.   
“You really think that? It’s so nice of you to say that”  
“Of course. I really, really like you, Queenie” It was kind of weird for Vinda to say that. She didn’t really know why she did. Maybe her strong built walls started to open up, maybe she was tired of being a loner or maybe she was just really getting insane. Besides, Vinda wasn’t even sure if Queenie got the real meaning behind her words. She looked over to her friend, who still didn’t look at ease. So maybe she did understand and wasn’t too happy about it. Great, Rosier, Vinda scolded herself and opened her mouth again.   
“It doesn’t change anything. I’m still your friend, if you want me to” she said. Queenie seemed surprised.   
“What are you talking about?” she asked confused.   
“Me liking you?” Vinda replied, also confused.   
“Oh” This time Queenie most certainly understood and Vinda wished she was the Legilimens, because she had no idea what Queenie thought of it. But after a few moments, she smiled at Vinda.   
“It’s alright, don’t worry” she reassured. But then she got serious again.   
“There’s something more” she said. Vinda squeezed Queenie’s hand reassuringly.   
“Tell me” she said. So Queenie took a deep breath and spoke.   
“I’m pregnant”


	12. Processing – Vinda

That came unexpected. Vinda didn’t know what to say or what to think. So she just asked the first thing that crossed her mind.   
“Are you sure?” Queenie shot her a funny glare and Vinda knew that she’d asked a really stupid question.   
“Of course I’m sure” Queenie confirmed. Vinda nodded, but still had no idea what to say. That was a huge information and came completely unexpected to her. But she knew that Queenie waited for her to say something, so she started talking.   
“What do you want me to do?” she asked, hoping Queenie would give her a hint.   
“Don’t stop being nice to me” Queenie said and looked at Vinda nervously. Vinda smiled. She could never stop being nice to Queenie, even if she wanted.   
“I won’t” she promised and reached out for Queenie’s hand again. She hoped Queenie wouldn’t mind that or misinterpret it as advances. But Queenie took her hand and smiled back at her.   
“I knew I could trust you” she said, obviously relieved.   
“It doesn’t change that I like you” Vinda stated. It was true. Even if Queenie would have a baby, she still liked the blonde quite a lot. She just had to overcome her silly crush on Queenie, then they could be really good friends. Of course, telling Queenie about her feelings hadn’t been the best idea, but it seemed like it wouldn’t destroy their friendship. If she could accept the baby then Queenie could most certainly accept her liking her. As a Legilimens, she should be used to that anyway.   
“So, when are you due?” Vinda asked.   
“In the end of May, I guess” Queenie answered. Well, that gave them about six months to work things out, Vinda thought.   
“What about your Muggle?” she wanted to know. Suddenly Vinda was afraid that Queenie would leave them.   
“He doesn’t know. I didn’t really have the chance to tell him” Queenie said. She bit her lower lip and looked sad. Vinda guessed, that she had imagined her life quite different. She knew that feeling all too well. When she was younger, she had had a different idea of how her adult life would look like. But there was no sense in regretting her choices, she wasn’t unhappy about how everything turned out.   
“I wanted to tell him when we reached England, but then we had the fight, so I couldn’t tell him” Queenie sighted.   
“I guess, you could write him” Vinda suggested, wanting to help. But Queenie shook her head.   
“No. Right now I’m really angry at him and Tina” she said. Vinda understood. Queenie had told her about her changing feelings for Jacob and her sister a few days ago when they were taking a walk through the rose garden.   
“I suppose, I’ll do it on my own” Queenie said and tried to look confidently. Vinda felt sorry for her, it must be really hard to be alone and pregnant.   
“You don’t have to. I’ll help” she said and to her own surprise, she really meant it. Queenie looked at her, somewhat surprised.   
“Yeah?” she asked, her eyes filling with tears.   
“Of course” Vinda promised and before she knew it, Queenie engulfed her in a tight embrace.   
“Thank you so much. I’m so glad that I have you” Queenie sobbed. Vinda patted her back, she didn’t really know what to do and her experience with crying women was limited. So she just continued to hug Queenie. She tried to ignore how nice it felt to hold the other woman in her arms. Queenie was soft and smelled really good, like vanilla, cinnamon and cocoa. She could get used to that, she thought to herself.   
“Me too” she said.


	13. Talking – Queenie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the delay. I didn't forget or abandon this story, I promise! But it's summer holidays and the kids are home a lot more and so my time is limited.

In the next morning, just after breakfast, Queenie found herself standing in front of Grindelwald’s study. She was building up the courage to knock and tell him about the pregnancy. Vinda had assured her, that Grindelwald would be understanding and won’t resent her, but still, Queenie felt nervous. She took a deep breath and finally knocked on the door. Just a few seconds later, the door swung open.   
“Come in” she heard Grindelwald saying. So Queenie entered the office. Grindelwald was sitting at his desk and smiled at her.   
“What can I do for you?” he asked. Queenie bit her lip and looked at her hands.   
“I have to tell you something” she said. She was still feeling nervous plus a little nauseous.   
“Go on, you can tell me anything” Grindelwald encouraged her. So Queenie took another deep breath and just said it.   
“I’m pregnant” she didn’t look at him and silently hoped that he wouldn’t get mad at her.   
“That’s wonderful” Grindelwald said. Queenie looked at him, confused. She wasn’t expecting that reaction.   
“So you’re not mad that I came here although I’m having a baby?” she asked, still unsure of what to make of his reaction. He smiled at her.   
“Of course not, I’m really glad that you joined us and I will do everything I can to provide you and the baby anything you need here” he stated. Queenie felt relief wash over her. Her worries had been a waste of time. He still thought that she was important to the cause and still wanted her to stay. Queenie felt really happy about that. She hadn’t felt needed in a long time.   
“Thank you so much! Of course I will continue working for you, whenever you need me, I’m ready” she promised him.   
Five minutes later, Queenie was at her usual place for the morning, the office where she and Credence would meet. He was already waiting for her, sitting on the sofa and petting his phoenix.   
“I’m sorry I’m late, sweetie” Queenie said and sat next to him. He offered her a smile and shrugged. She knew, that he didn’t mind waiting for her. Queenie decided to tell Credence about the baby as well.   
“I have some exciting news” she exclaimed and grinned at the young man. He looked at her expectantly and somewhat hopeful. Queenie could see him thinking about Nagini. She felt sorry for him instantly. Of course he would think about his girl. He hoped that she would be joining them and Queenie was about to crush this hope. She sighted and told him anyway.   
“I’m having a baby” she said happily. Credence’s face fell.   
“Oh” he said. He felt disappointed but was simultaneously ashamed for not being happy for her.   
“Are you alright?” Queenie asked concerned. Of course she knew what he was thinking, but she couldn’t let him know that she knew. Credence looked at his hands.   
“I’m just surprised” he whispered.   
“I know. I’m sure you were expecting something else, but that’s all I have to offer for now” Queenie said. Credence was still not really angry at Nagini and he was still missing her a lot, although he felt at home here by now. He’d started to eat with the others and talk to them, furthermore his magic got better day by day. Sometimes he had trouble controlling his feelings while trying some spells out, but most of the time, he did really well. Queenie was proud of him and wished she could help him with missing Nagini. Right now Credence wondered, if he and Nagini would ever have a family of their own.   
“I’m happy for you” he said and looked up. He offered Queenie a small smile and she knew that he really meant it.   
“Thank you, sweetie” she said and hoped that his pain would ease with time.


	14. Talking – Vinda

While Queenie was at her session with Credence, Vinda had a meeting with Grindelwald. He wanted to talk about some upcoming missions with her. When she entered his office, he was standing in front of the window, looking outside at the mountains.   
“I had an interesting talk with your girlfriend” he said instead of a greeting. She rolled her eyes.   
“I’m not aware of any girlfriend” she commented and closed the door with a wave of her hand. Of course Vinda knew exactly what Gellert was referring to, but she didn’t want to make it easy for him. She walked over to the window and stood next to him. He turned to her and looked at her, somewhat concerned.   
“Are you alright?” he asked with a serious voice. Vinda wanted to roll her eyes again, but decided against it. He seemed to be genuinely concerned for her wellbeing.   
“I’m fine” she said, trying to get over with this heart to heart talk as soon as possible. Talking about feelings still wasn’t her thing at all, although Queenie talked with her about that stuff a lot.   
“I know you well enough to see that you like her and if you need some break or anything, just tell me. I would hate it if something happened to you on a mission because you were too caught up in your personal drama” Gellert said, somewhat teasing her. But Vinda knew that he was not only worried about her but also about the cause. She was his second in command after all.   
“Trust me, I’m alright” she said. It wasn’t her that started a war based on some lover’s quarrel almost thirty years ago, after all. But she didn’t say that of course. Gellert hated to be reminded of that and most of the time he pretended that the concept of love was completely foreign to him. But Vinda knew him better than that, just as he knew her better than anyone else.   
“Well let’s talk about work then, shall we?” Gellert said and went to his desk. Vinda was thankful that he kept the talk about feelings short, as he knew that she hated that. He sat down and Vinda took place on the opposite side. They began to talk about a mission that would lead Vinda to a group of followers in Spain. Her primary mission would be to give them all of the new information and bring back a prisoner to Nurmengard. It sounded not too hard. A simple exchange, information for them, a prisoner for her. She’d done missions like this before.   
“You should take Abernathy with you” Gellert suggested and Vinda looked at him shocked.   
“Again? I’m not his freaking babysitter” she grumbled. Gellert just gave her a smug look.   
“I’m pretty sure that he’s really into a certain blonde, so I would definitely keep an eye on him if I were you. Besides, you are the best and he needs to learn a lot” he said. She agreed reluctantly.   
“Alright. I’ll take him. But I won’t take care of him or anything” she made clear. She couldn’t stand this guy. Yes he had been really helpful for Gellert in the US, but she didn’t really see why they would still need him around. He wasn’t very intelligent and his duelling skills were mediocre at their best. Plus he was constantly trying to bother Queenie with some trivial things, it was really annoying to Vinda. Of course she wouldn’t admit to herself why exactly that bothered her so much.   
“When do we start?” she asked, trying to sound excited about the mission. She knew that she failed at that, but at least she’d tried.   
“Right now. Abernathy is already waiting for you at the gates. Go now, we wouldn’t want him to wait any longer” Gellert said and grinned at Vinda. She rolled her eyes at him and left without saying anything else.


	15. Fieldtrip I – Queenie

“So, I was wondering if you’d like to come along on a little trip” Vinda suddenly appeared next to the Sofa Queenie was sitting on. She had been reading in of the books from the Nurmengard library all afternoon, since Vinda had been absent.   
“A trip?” she asked a little warily. Since Vinda had confessed her feelings and learned of her pregnancy, they hadn’t spent that much time together. Queenie wasn’t quite sure if Vinda had been avoiding her or if she was just super busy with her missions. But Vinda nodded with enthusiasm and smiled at Queenie. Queenie sill wasn’t convinced. She wanted to know more about this trip before she could make a decision.   
“Say I come with you, what exactly would we be doing on this ominous trip?” Queenie looked at Vinda expectantly. Vinda sat down next to her and looked at her, somewhat amused.   
“Don’t you trust me?” she wondered with feigned shock. Queenie rolled her eyes and indicated her to answer the question. She was really curious about the trip. Grindelwald had never sent her out of Nurmengard before.   
“Well, basically it’s us going to Prague, we break into a antiquary book store, steal a book, go to a nice hotel room and eat a lot, then we sleep and in the morning we go back to the book store, you sneak into people’s minds and we leave” Vinda summarized the plan. Well that sounded not too bad, Queenie thought. Especially the food part. Plus, it didn’t contain harming anybody, so she was fine with it. And the thought of spending the night with Vinda away from the castle excited her, but she wasn’t really sure why.   
“I’ll join you. When do we start?” Vinda looked satisfied with this answer.   
“Get packed, I’ll pick you up when the portkey is ready. Pack something warm” Vinda said and with a last smile towards Queenie she left. Queenie took her book and left the living room as well. On the way back to her room she wondered what book they would be stealing. It must be some very important book, she mused. Nevertheless she was looking forward to spending time with Vinda. She was her closest friend in Nurmengard after all. Well, Credence was her only other friend, so Queenie was really happy that Vinda still seemed to care for her.   
In her room, she took a bag out of the wardrobe and put some warm clothes in. Then she went to the bathroom to get her toothbrush and her hairbrush as well. Last, she put her book into the bag. Queenie sat down on her bed and waited for Vinda to get her. She really hoped that this trip would bring them closer together, since Vinda had been somewhat absent lately. Just moments later it knocked on Queenie’s door. She got up and opened the door. Vinda stood there, looking absolutely stunning in black boots, pants and a green woollen jacket. On her head was her favourite black hat and her lips were dark red. Queenie found her amazingly pretty and felt really grey in comparison.   
“Are you ready?” Vinda interrupted her thoughts. Queenie nodded and took her bag. They walked down to the entrance hall and out of the castle. It was really cold outsized and snowy and already getting dark, so Queenie shivered as they walked down a small path to the portkey point. When they arrived, Vinda pointed to an old pot. “Shall we?” she asked and offered Queenie her hand. Queenie took Vinda’s hand without hesitation. A warm tingling went through her hand and up her arm, but before she could think about it any further, Vinda had grabbed the pot and they were ported away.


	16. Fieldtrip II - Vinda

Just mere seconds later they appeared in a narrow alley in Prague. Vinda let go of Queenie’s hand and put the old pot on the ground. She took out her wand and observed her surroundings. The alley was empty except for them and it was already dark outside. Vinda turned to Queenie.   
“Are you alright? Ready to start the mission?” she asked. Queenie nodded, she seemed to be fine. Vinda pointed at an old house on their right.   
“That’s the antiquarian bookstore. I’ll check if there’s someone there” she explained to Queenie. Vinda went up to the store’s front door and opened it with her wand.   
“Homenum revelio” she muttered once she was inside. Queenie followed her into the building, when Vinda’s spell confirmed, that they were indeed alone here. Vinda started to look around inside the shop. There were a lot of high book shelves filled with old looking books on the walls and various old tables with more old looking books.   
“What exactly are we looking for?” Queenie asked. She was looking at one of the book shelves.   
“We need an old book with Grindelwald’s sign on it. I take it that you know how it looks?” she answered Queenie and started to search for the wanted book herself.   
“Of course” Queenie said and began to examine each book in the shelf. Vinda searched the tables for the book, but she didn’t find it on the first two tables. Maybe, she thought, the owner knew how important the book was and kept it somewhere separate. But Gellert had been sure that the book was somewhere inside the antiquarian bookstore and usually Gellert was right. Vinda scanned the room for places to hide a book. Maybe it was at the counter, she mused and went to check it. In the meantime Queenie had finished the first bookshelf and went on to the next one. Vinda went behind the counter and looked closely at the books that were stored under it. Most of them were some boring history books but one book caught Vinda’s attention. It was separate from the others and sat in a transparent box. When Vinda got closer she saw the sign on the book’s cover and smiled triumphantly.   
“I’ve got it” she said and got down to pick the box up. As soon as she got hold of the box, she heard Queenie scream. As fast as she could, Vinda got up and saw a man pointing his wand at Queenie.   
“Let go of her” Vinda demanded while drawing her own ward. She was ready to fight. Queenie pressed herself against a bookshelf and looked really frightened. Vinda cursed, she should have come alone. The man continued to point his wand at Queenie and said:   
“Put the book back or I’ll hurt her”. Vinda knew that she had to fight with him and slowly went closer.   
“Step away from her” she said again, this time her voice was dangerously calm. She looked him straight in the eye and flicked her wand. Instantly, all of the books in the shelves, except the ones near Queenie, started to move and drop on the ground. The man was startled and became distracted for a moment. Vinda took advantage of that and cursed the man with stupefy. He went down immediately. Vinda rushed over to Queenie. The blonde was huddled up against the book shelve, her face was white as a sheet.   
“Are you alright?” Vinda asked. Queenie seemed quite shaken, but she managed to nod. Vinda took her hand and tried to calm her down. Out of the corner of her eyes she saw, that the man on the ground started to move.   
“Queenie, I need you to grab the book and run outside” Vinda commanded, falling into her business-voice. She pointed to the counter, where the box with the book was still sitting. Queenie nodded and tried to look brave, but Vinda knew that she was afraid. Vinda helped Queenie up and pointed her wand at the man again. He had managed to grab his own wand and threw a curse in Queenie’s direction.   
“Run” Vinda yelled and sent a curse back, but the man had already gotten up and tried to hinder Queenie on getting the book. She raised her wand at him. He started to yell the words for the killing spell, but Vinda was faster. She casted a wordless killing spell and seconds later, her opponent fell on the ground. As soon as Vinda was sure he was dead, she turned to Queenie, who clutched the box in her hands and stared at Vinda. She looked so shocked and afraid, that Vinda felt bad. She knew that Queenie probably didn’t agree with her killing the man, but she just couldn’t take a chance. Besides, the man would have killed Queenie without hesitation, if Vinda hadn’t stopped him. While she was still thinking of the right words to explain the situation, Queenie rushed over and threw her arms around Vinda.   
“You saved my life, thank you, thank you” she cried into a confused and surprised Vinda’s chest. Vinda awkwardly patted Queenie’s back with one hand and held her close with the other. She’d thought, Queenie would be mad at her, if she’d ever had to kill someone in her presence. But this reaction was a lot nicer, Vinda thought. She felt warm and somewhat happy, despite their surroundings including the dead man. Vinda really didn’t want to let go of Queenie, but she knew that she had to clean up the scene before they were discovered. So Vinda whispered:   
“I have to take care of the body”. Carefully she removed herself from Queenie’s embrace.   
“Just take a seat and try to relax, I’ll be done in a few moments” Vinda said. She led Queenie to the stool behind the counter and placed her there. Queenie didn’t say a word but smiled at Vinda as the latter started to clean up the store.


	17. Field trip III – Queenie

Queenie still felt wobbly and a little weak when she watched Vinda clean up. She knew that she had almost died today. If Vinda hadn’t been that fast with her killing spell, she herself would be lying there on the floor, dead, instead of the unknown man. That thought frightened her a bit, but somehow she felt completely safe with Vinda. During the duel with the man Queenie hadn’t thought that something would actually happen to her because Vinda was there. She had trusted the other woman to protect her and she had not been disappointed. Still, this near dead experience had worn her out. Queenie needed a nap really soon, she felt exhausted.   
Five minutes later, Vinda was done and the two of them left the store for their hotel. They decided to go by foot as the hotel was in walking distance. It was cold outside and already dark, so very few people were on the streets. The two women made their way to the hotel in silence. Vinda lead the way. They stopped in front of a tall and classy looking building. Astoria Hotel, read Queenie. She was mildly impressed that Grindelwald let them stay in one of the really fancy hotels.   
“Are you coming?” Vinda asked from the stairs. She was already halfway up to the door. Queenie nodded and followed her. A porter opened the door for them and said something Czech to them. Queenie didn’t understand it, but Vinda obviously did as she answered some Czech words herself. Queenie was impressed that Vinda seemed to understand and speak Czech as well as English and German, and of course French. Vinda must be really intelligent, Queenie decided. Of course she’d noticed that Vinda was smart in their many conversations, but it seemed that there was so much more to explore about Vinda and her hidden talents. Queenie heard Vinda speak Czech again, this time with the lady behind the desk. Queenie took a look around the lobby. There were a few sofas, a fire place and some decorations. The room next door seemed to be a bar or a restaurant and on the right there was the stair case and an elevator. Vinda seemed to be done with the checking in and she came back to Queenie, with a key in her hand.   
“Let’s go” she said and they went to the elevator. They got out on the fourth floor and Vinda quickly found their room on the left side of the corridor. She opened the door and they got in. As soon as they were inside, Vinda closed the door and casted a few protection spells. Inside the room was a double bed on the right, a desk and a chair on the left and a small bathroom. Queenie stepped to the desk and Vinda remained next to the door.   
“Do you mind if we lie down for a bit? I’m really worn out” Queenie stated. She took off her boots and placed her coat on the room’s desk. Vinda nodded.   
“Of course. I assume it must be exhausting for you, given your condition” the dark haired witch said and took off her coat as well. It revealed an emerald blouse that fit her really well. Queenie had to look away, but she didn’t know exactly why. While Vinda started to take off her boots, Queenie decided that she was far too tired to change into her pyjamas or anything else and just got into the bed. For a hotel room bed it was surprisingly comfortable, she found. Queenie adjusted the pillow and made herself comfortable under the blanket. She saw Vinda aiming for the chair.   
“Are you not tired, sweetie?” she asked. Vinda looked at her, then at the bed and raised an eyebrow but didn’t answer. Queenie sighted.   
“Come on. The bed is big enough for the both of us” she said and patted on the mattress next to her.   
“Are you sure?” Vinda asked, looking doubtful. Queenie nodded enthusiastically. So Vinda took a deep breath and climbed into the bed next to Queenie.   
“See? It’s not that bad” Queenie said when Vinda had settled herself in. In fact, it was not bad at all. Queenie felt really comfortable next to Vinda. She knew that she was safe with her and that nothing would ever happen to her or the baby as long as Vinda was there. Vinda didn’t respond to Queenie and just turned off the light. The two women lay in the dark, neither asleep yet. Queenie thought about the book store again and about how close she had been to dying. The longer she thought about it the happier she felt to be alive.   
“Vinda?” she asked into the dark. For a few moments, all Queenie heard were Vinda’s even breaths, but then the dark haired woman hummed in response.   
“Thank you” Queenie said again. She feared that she’d never come to express how thankful she was for Vinda saving her and her baby’s lives. Vinda turned in the bed until she faced the blonde.   
“What for?” she asked, slightly confused. Queenie felt herself blush and murmured:   
“For saving my life. I just thought about how lucky I am”. Queenie didn’t know why, but she felt the urge to touch Vinda. So she reached out until she found Vinda’s face and lightly stroke her cheek. Vinda stiffed under her touch and Queenie withdrew her hand.   
“Sorry” she whispered. Vinda sighted and said:   
“Never mind. Let’s sleep now”  
“Alright” Queenie closed her eyes. She wondered if she had overstepped Vinda’s personal boundaries with her impulsive action. But she had wanted to touch Vinda really bad. Maybe, Queenie thought, it was because she was so grateful and wanted to express her thankfulness to Vinda. But maybe it had been something completely different, a small voice inside Queenie’s head murmured. No, that was nonsense. She was just thankful to be alive, Queenie decided and started to drift off to sleep.


	18. Fieldtrip IV - Vinda

When Vinda woke up, she felt that something was different to the way she usually woke up. She needed a moment to find out what exactly was up, but when she concentrated on getting really awake, she realized that Queenie was a lot closer to her than before they fell asleep. Queenie’s head was currently resting on Vinda’s arm, which was why her arm felt numb, and the blonde’s arm was draped over Vinda’s chest. She sighted and started to think about a way out of this weird cuddle situation without waking Queenie up. Vinda never cuddled or shared her bed with anyone, she preferred to sleep alone and the people that were allowed to touch her were limited. Basically it was just her mother on the rare occasions they saw each other and Gellert, who sometimes touched her shoulder or her arm. But now there was Queenie who seemed to really like touching her. She’d taken her hand on numerous occasions and had hugged her and sometimes, very seldom, Vinda had reached out to touch Queenie. It really didn’t feel like being herself, Vinda mused. The more time she spent with Queenie the more she felt like sixteen again and she was not sure if that was any good. Vinda gently removed Queenie’s arm from her chest with her left hand, then she tried to wiggle out her right arm from under Queenie’s head. With a lot of caution she finally freed her arm and stretched it out.   
“Ow” she murmured as she felt the blood rush through her arm properly again. This action must have woken Queenie, she moved herself on her back and opened her eyes.   
“Hey” she said and yawned.   
“Hey” Vinda said back and got up, stretching. She straightened her clothes and took a look at her watch. It was almost nine o’clock in the evening. They had slept for almost two hours.   
“I’m hungry. Do you think we can get something to eat?” Queenie asked. She had gotten up as well. Vinda nodded. She knew a small Muggle bar from her last visit.   
“I know some place. Let’s go” she said and put her boots on.   
Ten minutes later they were sitting in the small Muggle bar near the hotel. Vinda waved the waiter over and asked in Czech if they still served some food. The waiter confirmed that and told her what they had left today. Vinda nodded and told him, she would tell him when they had decided what they wanted.  
"He says they still have some soup with meat and vegetables or some goulash. For dessert they have strudel or pie" Vinda told Queenie. When Vinda mentioned the dessert Queenie got a strange look on her face. Vinda had no idea why.  
"Please no strudel" Queenie said and sighted.  
"Okay. I prefer pie anyway" Vinda said, not knowing what was going on with her companion. She decided to order some soup for herself, she didn't like to eat too rich late in the evening.  
"I'll have the goulash" Queenie stated. Vinda nodded, got up and told the waiter their choices. When she returned to the table, some men were trying to talk to Queenie.  
"What is going on?" she aksed, her voice threatening calm. The group of four men turned to her and one of them said:  
"We aksed if you pretty ladies would like to have a drink with us". Vinda was about to say something, but Queenie was faster.  
"Sorry boys, that is really lovely from you, but not tonight" she said and sent them an apologetic sweet smile. At first it seemed that the men were leaving, but one of them spoke again.  
"You don't know what you are missing. Come on, let's go and drink" he said and tried to reach for Queenie. Vinda had enough of this bullshit and positioned herself in front of this annoying guy.  
"She said no. Leave" she demanded, this time her voice was angry but still calm. Part of Vinda wanted to curse the guy really bad, but that would endanger the mission so it was out of question. Fortunately the guy seemed to understand this time and he left. But Vinda could hear him say things to his friends, about how a woman could think she would be able to threaten him. She sighted. Muggles always made the mistake to underestimate women. Stupid.   
“What were they thinking?” Vinda asked when she sat back down. Queenie shrugged.   
“Nothing too bad. They just wanted some fun” she answered. But Vinda wanted to know more.   
“Tell me about the last guy. What were his thoughts?” she looked at Queenie expectantly. Queenie hesitated for a moment but decided to answer.   
“He thought about how on earth a woman thinks she could threaten a guy like him. He thought that you were ridiculous and no real threat or serious opponent for him” Queenie summarized. Vinda snorted.   
“And that is exactly the problem with human guys” she said angrily. Vinda hated that.   
“What do you mean?” Queenie asked. Vinda could hear that she was not mad or angry, just curious. So Vinda tried to explain.   
“Women are not worth the same as men in their world. They think they’re superior. No wizard would ever think that I am no threat or that I am no real opponent for them. Our people know exactly that witches can be as strong and powerful as wizards. Humans however see that differently. They supress their women, they tell them that they are weak and should just stay home and have kids. I don’t understand how Muggles are so stupid” Vinda said and let out a deep breath.   
“Not all of them are like this” Queenie stated and sent Vinda a challenging glare. Of course Queenie would try to defend them, Vinda thought. Despite being not in love with Jacob anymore, Queenie still thought nicely about Muggles.   
“Deep down all of them are just the same” Vinda said. But Queenie shook her head.   
“No. Some of them are really trying to be different” she told Vinda, trying to convince her. Vinda thought about it. Maybe it was true, maybe not every Muggle was the same, but most of them were definitely.   
“Maybe. But the majority of them thinks that way, whether you like it or not” Vinda stated and was done with that topic. Getting into a fight with Queenie would also be a threat to the mission and, if Vinda was honest to herself, she hated fighting with Queenie. Queenie looked like she was about to say something, but the waiter came and brought their meals. They started eating in silence and when Vinda was half way through her soup, Queenie stopped eating and put her fork and knife down. Vinda also paused.   
“I’m sorry” Queenie said. Vinda raised an eyebrow and then just nodded. Queenie smiled at her reassuringly and Vinda continued eating.


End file.
